South Florida Crime

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A Miami-Dade County grand jury has indicted Anthawn Ragan, Jr. for first-degree murder for the shooting death of 10-year-old Aaron Vu.

The shooting took place while Ragan and another suspect that hasn’t been found were committing an armed robbery of a North Dade nail salon. The alleged thieves were running out the door when one turned around and fired a shot, which hit and killed Vu.

According the arrest form, Ragan tried to hide under the covers in a back bedroom. When he was taken into custody, police said he was violent, prompting an additional charge of battery on a law enforcement officer.

A source told CBS4’s Jim Defede, Ragan has been arrested before for armed robbery, but the state dropped the charges. The source said officers from another jurisdiction also interviewed Ragan about another robbery.

Ragan has also been connected to the murder last month of a 21-year-old man.

“He’s heartless and he is cold-blooded and he doesn’t hesitate to take anyone’s life,” said North Miami Police Major Neal Cuevas after Ragan was charged with first degree murder in the death of Luis Perez and possession of a firearm by a violent career criminal.

Cuevas told CBS4’s Peter D’Oench that two good witnesses in the latest crime and surveillance tape helped police connect Ragan to Perez’s murder.

According to an arrest report, the three gunmen who fired at Perez were looking for him when they met him at 12:02 a.m. at a Motel 7 at 13445 N.W. 7th Ave. Perez was returning to his room on the 2nd floor.

Police say Perez was shot multiple times at point-blank range and the gunmen continued firing while Perez was on the ground. The report notes that Ragan fired two of the shots.

Police say Ragan was captured on the surveillance tape at the Motel 7 firing his weapon along with an accomplice. A 3rd gunman is seen getting out of the car that they took off in: a 1999-2000 model, dark-colored, four-door Nissan Maxima.

If you have information about the Motel 7 case or the Aaron Vu murder, they should call Miami-Dade Crimestoppers at (305)-471-TIPS (8477). It was an anonymous tip that originally led police to Ragan.